1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an industrial lighting support assembly and, more particularly, is concerned with an improved electric lighting support assembly which permits inspection of electric connections without physically disturbing them.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of lighting support assemblies are used in industrial applications for illuminating railroad and truck loading docks. One typical prior art lighting support assembly employs a hollow tubular arm with one end of the arm attached on a suitable mounting bracket, an electrical lamp mounted at an opposite end of the arm, and wiring for the lamp enclosed within the tubular arm. One typical way to connect a power supply line to the wiring of the assembly has been to attach a junction box to an external surface of the tubular arm and make the connection between the power supply line and the wiring within the junction box.
U. S. Pat. No. 4,319,314 to Morton discloses a lighting support assembly which corresponds in the basic components of its construction to that described above. However, the lighting support assembly of the Morton patent seeks to improve this typical prior art construction by eliminating the need to use an external junction box on the top of the tubular arm. In its place, the Morton patent provides an opening in a selected top portion of the tubular arm and a removable cover plate applied over the opening. The cover plate has an entry hole with a strain connector mounted through it. The power supply line passes through the entry hole via the strain connector mounted in the cover plate. The required electric connection between the electric power supply line and the wiring of the lighting support assembly is found within the tubular arm proximate the opening closed by the removable cover plate.
A major drawback of the lighting support assembly of the Morton patent is that whenever the cover plate is removed from and then reattached to the tubular arm the power supply line is physically disturbed since it extends through the cover plate. This physical disturbance of the power supply line results in physical disturbance of the electrical connection that exist between it and the wiring of the assembly. Then, after the cover plate has been reattached, a person inspecting the electrical connection cannot have a sufficient degree of confidence that the electrical connection is still secure and adequate.
Consequently, a need exists to provide an improved lighting support assembly which eliminates the above-described drawback of the lighting support assembly of the Morton patent without introducing a new one in its place.